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Charles A. Pratt (April 2, 1909 – March 21, 1989) was an American judge.[1] He was the first Black judge in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, first elected in 1968 to the newly created 8th District Court.[1]
Charles A. Pratt | |
|---|---|
| Judge of the 8th District Court | |
| In office 1968–1980 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 2, 1909 Kalamazoo, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | March 21, 1989 (aged 79) |
| Resting place | Fort Custer National Cemetery |
| Education | Howard University (BA) Howard University (JD) |
Early life and education
Pratt was born on April 2, 1909, to Otis and Lydia Pratt in Kalamazoo, Michigan.[1][2] He attended Kalamazoo Central High School and graduated in 1928.[1] Pratt attended Howard University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1932 and his Doctor of Jurisprudence in 1935.[1][3] He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Kalamazoo College.[3]
Career
Summarize
Perspective
Private practice
Pratt opened a law practice in Kalamazoo after failing to join a larger firm.[1] He recounted in a speech: "One lawyer told me that now the colored people had a lawyer of their own. I told him that I was not a lawyer for the colored people, but for all the people. That I was a Negro but did not want to be restricted because of that fact."[2]
He practiced law as an attorney from 1935 to 1968, except for the five years he served during World War II.[3]
Military service
During World War II, Pratt was called to active duty as a member of the Judge Advocate General's Corps of the U.S. Army.[1] He also served in the army's 366th Infantry Regiment that fought in North Africa and Italy.[3]
8th District Court Judge
In 1968, Pratt became the first black judge elected in Kalamazoo County.[1] He retired from the bench in 1980 due to a state law restricting the age of judges.[1]
Board memberships
He served on several local boards.
- Douglass Community Association[1]
- Kalamazoo YMCA[1]
- Kalamazoo County Bar Association[1]
- County Legal Aid Bureau[3]
- Kalamazoo Child Guidance Clinic[3]
- Council of Social Agencies[3]
- Kalamazoo N.A.A.C.P.[3]
- Kalamazoo Lions Club[3]
- Kalamazoo Torch Club[3]
- Kalamazoo Visiting Nurse Association[3]
- Youth Opportunities Unlimited[3]
- Senior Service, Inc[3]
- Citizens Association of Kalamazoo State Hospital[3]
- The Family Service Center[3]
- Goodwill Industries[3]
- Advisory Board of WMUK[3]
- Community Services Council[3]
- Greater Kalamazoo United Way[3]
- Council of Human Relations[3]
- Kalamazoo Valley Community College Foundation Board[3]
Personal life and death
Pratt married Thema Lenox, they had four children Charles Pratt Jr., Helen Mickens, James Pratt, and Sonya Terburg.[2]
Pratt died in 1989 and was buried at Fort Custer National Cemetery in Kalamazoo.[1]
Legacy
In October 2010, a group of African-American judges and lawyers from Kalamazoo and Calhoun County, Michigan voted to establish the Charles A. Pratt Bar Association, first minority bar association in their counties.[2] The association focuses on providing legal education in the Kalamazoo community and resources for attorneys of color.[2]
In September 2023, members of the Kalamazoo County Bar Association petitioned the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners to rename an incoming justice center in downtown Kalamazoo in honor of Pratt.[4] The board voted to approve the renaming of the building to the "Judge Charles A. Pratt Justice Center" in October.[5] The building opened on December 11, 2023, replacing the Michigan Avenue Courthouse constructed in 1937.[6][7]
References
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